Device for binding sheets

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a device for binding a plurality of sheets (as paper) tightly together (as to form a book) and comprises a pair of identical binding members, each of which has a base member, a plurality of spaced binding posts, preferably of rectangular form, projecting perpendicularly from the base and each having a continuous series of ratchet teeth, or saw teeth, along one common face thereof; an aperture in the base member adjacent the edge with the ratchet teeth and barely large enough to receive the post from the other member. In the preferred form of the present device, a spring section of the base plate is formed integrally in the base plate and adjacent the end of the apertures spaced from the binding post and projecting slightly into the aperture so that as ratchet teeth of the cooperating members are passed along each other, it can bend to permit easy passage, but when the ratchet teeth are nested one within the other, the spring member will prevent separation of the two posts.

. [75] Inventor:

United States atent [191 Malavazos 1 DEVICE FOR BINDING SHEETS Arthur J.Malavazos, Hayward, Calif.

[73] Assignee: AJM Research Corporation,

H y a diQl t-m t 22 Filed: Oct. 17, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 407,239

Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Arsistant ExaminerDoris L. TroutmanAttorney, Agent, or FirmRobyn Wilcox [111 3,866,274 [451 Feb. 18,1975

[5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a device for binding aplurality of sheets (as paper) tightly together (as to form a book) andcomprises a pair of identical binding members, each of which has a basemember, a plurality of spaced binding posts, preferably of rectangularform, projecting perpendicularly from the base and each having acontinuous series of ratchet teeth, or saw teeth, along one common facethereof; an aperture in the base member adjacent the edge with theratchet teeth and barely large enough to receive the post from theother-member. 1n the preferred form of the present device, a springsection of the base plate is formed integrally in the base plate andadjacent the end of the apertures spaced from the binding post andprojecting slightly into the aperture so that as ratchet teeth of thecooperating members are passed along each other, it can bend to permiteasy passage, but when the ratchet teeth are nested one within theother, the spring member will prevent separation of the two posts.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR BINDING SHEETS STATE OF THE ARTFor many decades there have been devices for temporary binding ledgersheets and the like into a volume in which the binding members could bereadily separated to insert or remove sheets. In most cases thesedevices comprise a base member having two or more binding postsprojecting therefrom and a cooperating closing member having aperturesto receive the binding posts, and means for locking the receiving memberonto the posts. Of more recent interest is the development of plasticbinding members for permanently binding sheets into book form, the mostprevalent of which devices consists of a base with a number of smallposts projecting therefrom and a cooperating member having aperturesspaced to receive the binding posts of the I base; means for pushing thetwo members tightly together; then cutting off the posts a shortdistance above the aperture member; and finally applying heat to theends of the posts to melt them to form a rivet head holding the aperturemember in position. This last device, although very popular, has thedefect that often the rivet heads formed from the ends of the bindingpost break away with pressure and the binding ceases to function as itshould. The present invention is di rected to a binding device outlinedin the Abstract, which is preferably formed of slightly deformableplastic whereby the ratchet teeth, when pushed inwardly by each other,will bend slightly to permit passage, but

which once moved to their innermost positions, prevent return movementas the base of one ratchet tooth is engaged with the base of the ratchettooth of the cooperating post. Such a binding device is, for allpractical purposes, unbreakable.

OBJECTS It is an object of the present invention to provide aninexpensive and readily-assembled binding device for binding sheets orpaper into book form.

It is another object of the device to provide binding devices which donot require the expensive equipment heretofore used to bind the sheetstogether.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide abinding device which, for all practical pur poses, is unbreakable.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing whichfollows.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the binding member of the present device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on'a vertical plane through theaxis of the device shown in FIG. 1, as along the plane indicated by theline 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view showing the operating edgeof one of the binding posts, such as taken along the vertical planeindicated by the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a pair of identical binding membersbeing pushed to the binding position;v

and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the device,such as taken along the vertical plane of FIG. 2.

It should be understood at the outset that the binding device of thepresent invention comprises two identical binding members, only one ofwhich is shown in FIGS.

l, 2, 3 and S. Preferably, these members are formed of a strong plasticmaterial which inherently has the capacity to be deformed slightly underpressure but with sufficient memory to resume its former shapeimmediately upon release of such pressure.

Since the two binding members are identical, only one need be described.It comprises a base plate 10 provided with a series of regularly spacedbinding posts 11 projecting therefrom. The binding posts 11 are ofidentical size throughout their length, except at the extreme endsthereof, which are pointed as at 12 for ease in insertion in cooperatingapertures in the other member. Each of the binding posts throughout itslength is provided with a continuous series of ratchet teeth, or sawteeth, 13.

Adjacent each binding post 11 is an aperture 20 of a size barely largeenough to permit the passage of the post 1 l of the second membertherethrough. In the preferred form of the invention, a spring member 21is preferably formed integrally with the base member. One preferredconstruction is to provide a pair of slots 22 formed in the base member10 along the side of the hinge member 21 and providing a plurality ofV-shaped depressions 23 (see particularly FIG. 4) in the outer face 15of the base member, so that it (the hinge member) will bend more readilythan the base 10.

The method of using the device of the present invention to bind sheetsinto book form is shown particularly in FIG. 4. A plurality of sheets30, preferably are punched with apertures barely large enough to receivetwo cooperating binding posts and are assembled on one of the bindingmembers with the post 11 projecting through one side of the apertures inthe paper. The other binding member is then inserted into the aperturesin the paper in the opposite direction so that the ratchet teeth 13 canbe pushed inwardly by each other. In the preferred form, the integralspring sections 21 will bend, as shown in this figure, to permit theready passage of the teeth 13 inwardly against each other. However, whenthe desiredposition of the two members is reached, the bases 14 of theteeth 13 will bear against the base of the cooperating post 11 and willthereby resist separation, or outward movement, of the posts 10 with allof the force available in the perpendicularly projecting bases 14 of theteeth 13 throughout the thickness of the material being bound. Hence, itis impossible to break the two members apart unless the base portion ofat least one is so broken that the binding posts can be separated byprying them apart. After the desired position is reached, the bindingposts 1 1 are shaved off by any conventional cutting device immediatelyadjacent the outer face 15 of the base members 10.

A second embodiment of the present device is shown in FIG. 5, and whilehighly reliable and satisfactory when the proper material is used toform the binding members, in some instances it is not as desirable asthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, inclusive. This form isidentical with the other, except that it has no integral spring member21. It consists of the base member 10, the projecting posts 11 withtheir integral ratchet teeth 13 and with an aperture 20 adjacent eachpost 11 on the edge adjacent the ratchet teeth 13. Again the aperture 20is barely large enough to permit the insertion of the cooperatingbinding post 11. This embodiment depends upon the binding member beingformed of a material with sufficient resiliency to permit 3 the teeth 13to deform sufficiently to permit their ready passage inwardly againsteach other, in spite of the fact that the aperture 20 forms a very tightfit with the binding post 11.

[t is obvious that many forms of binding posts can be used within theteaching of this invention. For example, the binding post 11 could besemicircular in form with the teeth 13 formed on the diametrical edgethereof. It is also apparent that the binding post 11 could be squareinstead of rectangular, although the rectangular form is preferred inorder to give rigidity to the post and to prevent bowing, which wouldtend to separate the two cooperating posts if the holes in the paperwhich is bound are oversized.

These and other modifications will be apparent to those familiar in thisart.

I claim:

1. A binding device comprising a pair of substantially identicalmembers, each of which has a base, a plurality of spaced binding postsprojecting from one side thereof, a series of ratchet teeth along thecorresponding face of each of said binding posts, and an aperture ineach base member adjacent each binding post along the edge thereofhaving the ratchet teeth, said aperture being of a size to barely permitthe insertion therethrough of a binding post on a cooperating member,whereby the insertion of the binding posts through the aperture of theother of said members causes the base of each ratchet tooth to nestagainst the base of the other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising also a spring member in the basemember biasing each cooperating binding post into engagement with thepost on the base member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the spring member is formedintegrally with the base and is located at the edge of the apertureremote from the ratchet teeth of the binding post adjacent suchaperture.

4. A binding device comprising a pair of substantially identicalmembers, each of said members comprising:

1. a base;

2. a plurality of spaced binding posts projecting from one side of saidbase;

3. a series of ratchet teeth along a corresponding face of said bindingposts;

4. an aperture in said member adjacent each binding post along the edgethereof having the ratchet teeth, said aperture being of a size andshape to barely permit the insertion therethrough of a binding post on acooperating member; and

5. a resilient biasing means at the end of a plurality of said aperturesopposite the adjacent binding post for biasing the cooperating post ofthe other of said pair of members into engagement with the binding post,whereby the ratchet teeth of each member are pressed into engagementwith the ratchet teeth of the other of said pair of members.

I l =l l

1. A binding device comprising a pair of substantially identicalmembers, each of which has a base, a plurality of spaced binding postsprojecting from one side thereof, a series of ratchet teeth along thecorresponding face of each of said binding posts, and an aperture ineach base member adjacent each binding post along the edge thereofhaving the ratchet teeth, said aperture being of a size to barely permitthe insertion therethrough of a binding post on a cooperating member,whereby the insertion of the binding posts through the aperture of theother of said members causes the base of each ratchet tooth to nestagainst the base of the other.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprisingalso a spring member in the base member biasing each cooperating bindingpost into engagement with the post on the base member.
 2. a plurality ofspaced binding posts projecting from one side of said base;
 3. a seriesof ratchet teeth along a corresponding face of said binding posts; 3.The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the spring member is formed integrallywith the base and is located at the edge of the aperture remote from theratchet teeth of the binding post adjacent such aperture.
 4. A bindingdevice comprising a pair of substantially identical members, each ofsaid members comprising:
 4. an aperture in said member adjacent eachbinding post along the edge thereof having the ratchet teeth, saidaperture being of a size and shape to barely permit the insertiontherethrough of a binding post on a cooperating member; and
 5. aresilient biasing means at the end of a plurality of said aperturesopposite the adjacent binding post for biasing the cooperating post ofthe other of said pair of members into engagement with the binding post,whereby the ratchet teeth of each member are pressed into engagementwith the ratchet teeth of the other of said pair of members.